


you're the one (to help me get to sleep)

by tumsa



Series: tiny stories [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, bartender!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 14:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2471795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tumsa/pseuds/tumsa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is not having the best time at work and Harry is away, visiting his family, so if Louis is having a tiny meltdown nobody can blame him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're the one (to help me get to sleep)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [decadent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/decadent/gifts).



> This goes to my amazing makeup fairy and cheerleader [Mirjam](http://letthemkissyou.tumblr.com/) for helping me to get through two weeks of hell at work and generally being most amazing friend. I hope Norway is treating you well and you're enjoying your days off, and I hope this makes you smile when things are hard at work. xx
> 
> There is really no story or plot here, just some angst, and then fluff and cuddles that Louis needs. There was no beta for it either, so please be gentle. Title from "Firefly" by Ed Sheeran.

Louis is about to strangle one of the drunk girls that Zayn is trying to keep off from climbing on the bar counter when his phone vibrates in the pocket. He sighs and presses the red emergency button to get Liam, their security guard, to help Zayn dealing with the girl that keeps insisting she wants to dance on the counter, and pulls out his phone. There are three _WhatsApp_ messages from Harry. First one is five pink hearts, second one says "how is work?" and has a kissy emoji and third one is a pic of two koalas cuddling with a caption "THIS IS US". Louis sighs and tries not to cry because he really misses Harry and it's been another horrible evening at the bar and Harry is miles and miles away and Louis just wants someone to hug him and tell him it's gonna be okay. But Harry has been so excited about the two weeks off from his work and going home to visit Anne and Robin ( _and Dusty, Louis, Dusty misses me horribly_ ), and Louis doesn't want to make Harry feel sad so he keeps quiet about how he is working extra shifts because their manager Richard decided to take a vacation at the same time that Lou did, leaving the bar shorthanded, or how the other day three drunk Russians started a fight because Louis refused to serve them after one of them tried to grab the _Smirnoff_ vodka bottle, and Louis learned more curses in Russian than he ever will need to know, or how he burned his hand because he was trying to sleep and pour some water on his tea at the same time this morning, or how he is feeling a little bit like searching for "nearest cliff to jump off" in google. So he just types back "sap", then adds "all good here, hope ur having fun" and a winky face and then "miss you...r dick" with some heart emojis just to mess with Harry.

He pockets his phone and turns back to help Liam and Zayn with the drunk girl and her friends when suddenly there is a loud crash, glass breaking and Louis' vans and jeans are soaked in a liquid. He blinks, and it takes a moment to realize that one of the shelves has fallen off and there are at least fifty broken bottles of expensive liquor all over the floor.

"Holly crap, are you okay?" Zayn asks and Louis blinks again because while his shoes are soaked and he almost had a heart attack from the scare, he is fine but Zayn was standing just a few centimeters away from the fallen shelf and if it had fallen on him... no, Louis is not thinking about that. His hands are shaking a bit and he ignores the phone vibrating in his pocket, deciding Harry will have to wait on this one.

"I can't believe this, _fuck_ ," he swears, because seriously, Zayn could have _died_ and all because someone probably hadn't checked how much weight the shelf can hold. "We're literally gonna die at this place one way or another, I swear. God, Griffiths is gonna kill us probably, that shit was expensive." He gets a broom to clean up glass before he, Zayn or anyone else has stepped on it, because obviously they are the ones who will have to clean the mess up. Louis is not getting paid enough for this. The only good thing is that the noise and the overwhelming smell of alcohol has scared the drunk bar-counter-dancer-to-be and her friends away and he and Zayn can focus on cleaning up while Liam is asking everyone to leave since it's close to closing time anyway.

When Louis get's home it's close to three in the morning, he throws out his shoes in the bin, takes some painkillers because his head is about to explode and falls asleep in the middle of reading Harry's goodnight wishes to him sent three hours ago. He has three hours to sleep since he has the morning shift the next morning, and just the idea of serving countless cups of coffees, fry-ups and toasts with jams makes him cry.

 

~*~*~

The next day is not much better than the past six has been, Louis wakes up after snoozing his alarm twice, takes a shower, finds clothes that does not smell like liquor and goes back to the pub. He spends the morning serving breakfasts and trying to be polite and welcoming. Alberto makes him a wicked cheese toasty once the morning crowd has left and it's just the occasional tourists that wonder in, and lets him take a thirty minute nap in the backroom, so it's not like he is actually dying but there's a Harry shaped hole in his heart, and exhaustion from not enough sleep is starting to catch up and the dull headache is not going away even after two pills of aspirin. He is too slow and clumsy, breaks two tea mugs and almost cuts his finger off when trying to pick up the broken pieces, and it takes all the willpower in the world to send heart emojis and stupid messages to Harry who sends him a selfie from bed, all curled up under warm blankets, asking if Louis slept well and what his plans for the day are. Louis doesn't want to actually lie to Harry about working extra shifts so he just skips that part and tells that he wants to buy new vans which is true. He gets a few hours of sleep in the afternoon, eats some Chinese takeaway, orders new shoes online and goes back to pub to work the evening shift with Zayn. Nobody is trying to dance on the counters and no shelves break down but Louis' headache is getting stronger and he spends the evening trying not to drink one of the _bloody marys_ he makes. That night he ignores all fourteen Harry's messages in _WhatsApp_ because no amount of cuddly animals and penis jokes can make him not to want to drown in vodka. He falls in bed at half three fully dressed too tired to even take his sneakers off.

Next day is another round of breakfasts, three more pills of painkillers, another long shift with Zayn in the evening and trying not to throw up from the nausea. He ignores worried looks from Zayn and takes it as a success when the shift ends and he hasn't broken a single glass and has had only one drink thrown at him. He remembers that he hasn't talked with Harry since yesterday's morning but his head hurts too much from the bright light that is his phone's screen, so he just sets alarm, puts the phone on silence and falls asleep.

 

~*~*~

Louis sleeps through the next day and only wakes up when the alarm is ringing at four in the afternoon. He feels slightly better, takes a selfie oh himself in a bed and sends it to Harry with apologies about being too busy (winking emoji) and sleeping a lot. They chat for a while and Harry sends him a photo of his lunch and that makes Louis' stomach rumble, he hasn't eaten anything since previous afternoon and there's not much food in the fridge, at least nothing that Louis feels like eating. He takes a quick shower and calls Harry on his way to work, he does his best to sound happy and since Harry can take ages just to tell small stories, Louis lets him talk and tries no to say things like "please come home" and "i am this close to throwing myself under my own car" while Harry tells about his adventures when trying to bathe Dusty. He has five more days before a week long break at work and before Harry comes back, but it feels more like five years, and Louis thinks that he could work extra shifts or live two weeks without Harry, but doing both at the same time is starting to feel like mission impossible, and Louis ain't no Tom Cruise.

That night the migraine is back full force, he feels like throwing up and even the dim pub lights makes his eyes water. He falls asleep on one of the empty tables twenty minutes before the shift ends and wakes up the next morning on the couch in the backroom with Liam's jacket on his shoulders. It's nine in the morning and his morning shift has started two hours ago, he is dizzy and confused and there are four missed calls from Harry, and a note from Alberto that says they called in Caroline to cover his shift. He opens a message to Harry, closes it and curls up on the couch. Zayn wakes him up in the afternoon, looking proper worried.

 

~*~*~

He has two days left to survive when Ben calls to tell Louis that they need their new menus done until the end of the day. Louis tries to argue that he was told they will need the new menus in two weeks, but Ben is telling him to either do it and get the extra cash or he can give that task to someone else. And the thing is between Louis and Harry they make enough money to pay for their small apartment and food, but he wanted the extra money because he is saving up for a ring and all the extra shifts and the check he would get for making the menus would help him a lot, but right now Louis is not sure he can survive til the end of his morning shift to be honest (and he can't propose to Harry when he's dead) so he tells Ben to find someone else and hangs up. He cleans up after his shift, chats a little with Caroline who is working until the afternoon,  picks up some too greasy burgers on his way home and gets two hours of sleep before going back. It takes Zayn one look at Louis to send him back home. Louis tries to argue but Zayn just threatens to call Liam and throw Louis out, so he drives back home. He makes a bath and lights some of Harry's lavender scented candles in hopes that it will help to lessen the migraine that has been torturing him for the past few days. He amuses Harry with bath selfies and Harry's detailed descriptions of what he will do to Louis in the bath as soon as he gets back home is the only reason Louis doesn't fall asleep and drown. He makes sure to send Zayn tons of heart emojis and thank you's before falling asleep.

The next morning at work is horrible, a couple starts a fight with shouting and breaking of dishes, a toddler throws up on Louis' new vans, someone spills hot coffee on him and Alberto snaps when Louis mixes up two orders. A bit later he offers a toast with marmite as an apology and Louis manages to eat a half until he has to throw up. He is on his way out when Richard comes in, asks Louis to stay and talk about the broken shelf incident. He is well rested and spends twenty minutes babbling about vacation in Greece while Louis tries not to stab him with one of the golden pens on Griffith's desk. Luckily their manager is in a good mood (which is such a rare occasion that Louis feels like experiencing the eight world wonder), promises to find someone to fix the shelf and check the rest of them, and lets Louis go soon after.

Louis feels so dizzy and tired that he gets a bus and leaves his car parked at the back of the pub. He actually cries when his alarm for the evening shift rings and his head hurts so much it's hard to breathe. He feels cold, tired and miserable, but manages to get dressed and call a taxi. Thankfully Zayn is not working that night, Lou tries to say something to him but Louis pretends to be busy and she lets it go. That night Louis doesn't even try to smile at customers, just takes their orders and makes the drinks, his tips are way smaller than usually but he can't be bothered, and when Lou tells him it's time to close up he hugs her and kisses her cheek, making her laugh. 

 

~*~*~

He wakes up slowly and it takes him a while to realize that his head is not on his pillow, but in Harry's lap and there are gentle fingers stroking his hair. And it works like magic, because his head still hurts, but it's a dull, low pain that he can almost ignore and he can feel it lessening with every second. Louis turns slowly so he can look up at Harry, who's sitting leaned against the bed's headboard, and smile.

"Hello Curly," he murmurs sleepily and yawns. Harry has found a few extra blankets and Louis feels extra warm and nice underneath them all.

"Hi," Harry smiles but his smile disappears way too soon, replaced with a frown. "Want to explain why you look you haven't slept for weeks and why both Lou and Zayn texted me this morning to tell me you're sick and I should make you sleep and rest?"

Louis really doesn't want to explain. He just wants some cuddles and more sleep, and maybe a cheese toasty made by Harry and some kisses. He is so _so_ tired, and Harry is finally here and he really doesn't want to talk about work and how Zayn almost died and how he thinks he is dying from exhaustion, so he shakes his head and bites his lip. There are tears welling up in his eyes, and Louis read that it happens when you are sleep deprived, headaches, dizziness, crying for no reason, there were a lot of symptoms, and he probably has them all, so he tries to breathe and not freak Harry out, hides his face against Harry's shirt and closes his eyes, like a toddler who doesn't realize that when you can't see anyone that doesn't mean they still can't see you.

"Oh, _Lou_ ," Harry whimpers softly and pulls Louis up in his lap to hug him, "what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Haz, I'm so sorry," Louis murmurs in Harry's neck, wrapping his hands around Harry's waist, letting a few tears roll down his cheeks, "I missed you so terribly and my head hurts and I missed you, did I told you I missed you? I love you and I am miserable without you and I missed you more than Dusty ever will! Can I get some cuddles now and then you can shout at me later for being irresponsible? I will let you break the dishes and everything if you want if I can also get nose kisses."

Harry actually laughs and pulls blankets over both of them to keep Louis warm. "I can't believe I'm in love with an idiot,"  he sighs theatrically trying to lay down without letting Louis go. Louis smiles and once both of them are sleeping, curls up half over Harry. Harry kisses his nose just like Louis asked, murmuring that he missed Louis too between kisses. 

"Come on, let's get some sleep, so I can shout at you later."  
  
"Can you make me a cheese toasty and tea before that?" Louis asks yawning. He feels a little bit hungry and like he would actually be able to eat. He could even eat a ripe banana or something so Harry doesn't complain about unhealthy breakfast and how it's the most important meal of the day and cheese is actually just milk full with bacteria. "And maybe have a snog too. I'd offer to blow you as well but I might fall asleep on your dick."

"Charming," Harry snorts but he cuddles Louis closer and Louis will take it as a yes to their plan. He listens to Harry's heartbeats thinking that it was all worth it after all. He loves Harry more than anything and he wants to buy that ring and propose and have tons of babies with Harry and never again spend two weeks without him. Maybe being ridiculously sappy is another symptom of exhaustion.

"But you can lick my bum if you want," Louis adds just to hear Harry laughing. 

**Author's Note:**

> 18/09/14 23:12:42: Mirjam: I hope every one of your fic is going to have  
> 18/09/14 23:13:28: Mirjam: "as always, this has been inspired by Mirjam and her complete adorable silliness her brain spews out every day as she can't stop WhatsApping me"   
> 18/09/14 23:13:56: Me: they will


End file.
